Pleasant p



(No Model.)

P. P. LINDER 8v R. P. BRYANT.

CATTLE GUARD.

No. 360,599. Patented Apr. 5,1887

WITNESSfiga i I Q @IgVEETOR: g BY QUM' M N. PEYERS. Pbolmlilhognpfiur. Wahinghm, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLEASANT P. UNDER AND RUFUS P. BRYANT, OF JACKSONVILLE, ALA.

CATTLE-GUARD.

EPECIE'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,599, dated April 5, 188).

A plication filed August 9, 1586. Serial No. $0.442. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PLEASANT P. Lnvnun. and RUFUS P. BRYANT, both of Jacksonville, in the county of Calhoun and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Cattle- Guard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to cattle-guards, and has for its object to provide a guard that will effectually prevent cattle from entering adj oining fields, to which ingress is afforded by reason of a railroad traversing them, and also to provide an efficientguard for cattle at railwaycrossings or wherever such guard is needed.

It consistsin the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View; Fig. 2, aside elevation of our guard, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal vertical section through line as a: of Fig. l.

A A represent the sills of our cattleguard adapted to belaid over a pit of suitable depth, and B B the railway-ties resting thereon to support the rails G O. Levers D D, pivoted at their outer ends to the extremities of the sills A, upon the outside thereof, extend there'- from to the center, overlapping slightly at that point, the upper edge of the said levers in their normal position being parallel with the upper edge of the said sills.

The inner ends of the levers D are provided with an inclined under surface, d, which slightly projects over the curved upper end surface, d, of the levers D, and the two ends thus brought one over the other are connected by means of a plate, E, pivoted thereto.

To theunderinelined surface, d, of thelevers D a length of chain, c, or other suitable material is attached. sufficiently long to pass up between the overlapping ends of the leversD D, over a shaft, F, journaled centrally in the sills A, and be secured thereon at a suitablenpoint on the opposite side thereof.

A platform, G, is provided between the ties B, upon each side of the shaft F, by fastening the ends of a suitable number of boards, laid transverselybetween said ties, to the upper edge or the levers D D,and the sills A are provided with inclined recesses 9, cut in the edges thereof beneath the said platforms, to receive the between the rails on each side the center there of, additional sections of chain, M, or equivalent material are provided, one end of each section being attached to the shaft. and the other extending downward vertically a short distance within the pit and engaging a weight, 122, to support the same transversely therein. A series of rods, N, made of single or looped wire, cast or wrought iron, or wood, are driven in the shaft F along its length between the rails and for some distance upon each side thereof. The said rods N are preferably driven in the shaft F at one side, as the said shaft .is held in its normal position by means of the weight m, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to extend vertically upward below the top of rails G, and are there bent so as to lie horizontally between and upon each side of the same.

The guard is used to most advantage where railroads pass through several fields of one farm, or through connecting fields of separate farms. It is, however, equally adapted for use in connection with railroad-crossings,or wherever an efficient cattle-guard is required.

In operation, as the cattle attempt to cross on the track from one field to another, their weight causes the platforms to bear down and rest in the inclined recesses of the sills, carrying with them the connected levers pivoted to the sills, to which they are attached, as aforesaid. The downward movement of the levers, by means of the chains attached thereto and to the shaft, causes the shaft to make a partial revolution, thereby bringing the rods secured thereon from a horizontal position to an up right or vertical position directly in front of the cattle, as shownin Fig. 3, forming a bar to their farther progress in that direction, while the rapid movement thereof tends to startle and drive them back. As soon as they leave the platforms, theweight returns the rods and platforms to their first position.

\Ve are aware thatitis-not broadly new to antomatically raise a counterpoised gate from a horizontal to a vertical position across the track of a railroad by the weight of an animal attempting to cross a platform pivotally connected to said gate, and we do not lay claim thereto.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a cattle-guard, the combination, with the sills A, having inclined recesses cut therein and provided with levers D and D, pivoted at vers, of the shaft F, connected to said levers, substantially as described, having secured thereon rods N bent at an angle thereto, and a weight, m, suspended therefrom transversely between the sills, adapted to operate substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In a cattle-guard, the combination, with the sills A, having inclined recesses cut therein and provided with the pivoted levers D, having an inclined under surface, (I, the pivoted levers D, having a curved upper surface, (1, the connecting-plate E, and platforms G, of the shaft F, provided with rods N,and a weight, m, suspended therefrom, the said shaft F journaled in said sills and connected to the said levers D by means of chains 0, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose herein set forth.

PLEASANT P. LINDER. RUFUS P. BRYANT.

\Vitnesses:

H. F. MONTGOMERY, M. L. MONTGOMERY. 

